Two fake detectives sit by the mantle.
four bodies lay in a vacuum of words.
they cut the yellow tape on this wax museum,
delegated couches, four far-away corners.
the pair bicker over what went down first
in the kitchen with the decorative toaster.
in the parlor with the unopened brandy bottle
in the dining room—there is no dining room—but
in it, old candlesticks topped with fake tea lights.
a sudden SUV ad bretaks up SVU,
(wouldn't you rather be driving a lincoln?)
the detectives vanish, the room unsolved,
bathroom breaks in between commercials
a reminder to let things pass to waste
a month-old card game clutters the coffee table.
the kitchen window sneaks drags of drafty winter air,
the oven heats the left side only, and no warmth is
spread about from the fireplace that's just for show.
Image credit: 'Waiting Painting' (2015, oil on canvas) by Meme Austin, Image credit: courtesy of Saatchi Gallery